The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department earlier this week blamed Cheney for the shooting, saying it was his responsibility to know where the other hunters were before he shot. Cheney and Whittington also did not have the $7 stamp on their hunting licenses needed to hunt quail legally in Texas.

The sheriff's department report was based on interviews with Cheney, Whittington and other eyewitnesses.

Cheney told Fox News on Wednesday that he did not see Whittington, who had stayed back to find a fallen quail but was approaching the vice president and a third hunter when Cheney fired.

The report released today reiterates earlier statements from the sheriff's office that the shooting was an accident.

"Mr. Whittington did speak of the incident and explained foremost there was no alcohol during the hunt and everyone was wearing the proper hunting attire of blaze orange," the report says.

Cheney said in the Wednesday interview he had a beer at lunch, but nothing after that.

Salinas has been criticized for not interviewing anyone about the shooting until Sunday.

San Miguel said the sheriff contacted him about 6:30 p.m. Saturday — about an hour after the shooting — and told him to go to the Armstrong Ranch at 8 a.m. Sunday. There, he interviewed Cheney.

"Mr. Cheney told me he was there to cooperate in any way with the interview," San Miguel said in the report.

Cheney told San Miguel that Whittington stayed behind the hunting party to find a bird he had shot. Cheney and Pamela Willeford, U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, walked ahead about 100 yards towards another covey.

"There was a single bird that flew behind him (Cheney) and he followed the bird by line of sight in a counterclockwise direction not realizing Harry Whittington had walked up from behind and positioned himself approximately 30 yards to the west of him," Miguel said in the report.

"Mr. Cheney told me the reason Harry Whittington sustained the injures to his face and upper body was that Mr. Whittington was standing on ground that was lower than the one he was standing on. Mr. Cheney told me if Mr. Whittington was on the same ground level the injuries might have been lower on Mr. Whittington's body," he said.

Cheney was using an over-under 28-gauge shotgun. The brand name was Perazzi Brescia and was made in Italy.

San Miguel interviewed Whittington in the hospital around 10 a.m. Monday. Whittington was sitting in a chair when San Miguel arrived.

"I asked Mr. Whittington if we could record our conversation and Mr. Whittington requested not to be recorded due to his voice being raspy," the report said. "It was then I requested a written affidavit be done and Mr. Whittington gladly agreed to do so as soon as he returned back home to his office."

Whittington also described the shooting. He said after looking for his bird, he went back to the vehicle that was behind the hunting group. There, ranch owner Katharine Armstrong "told him to go and shoot the second covey. So, at that time, he proceeded to join the hunters who had already moved from the first location."

"Mr. Whittington again reiterated that this incident was just an accident. He was concerned this incident would bring a bad image to hunting in Texas," San Miguel said.